LONDON—British Prime Minister Gordon Brown voiced outrage Wednesday at the brutal abuse of a baby boy and a local authority's failure to spot his fatal ordeal, as the case escalated into a political row.
The child -- identified only as Baby P -- was 17 months old when he died in a blood-spattered cot in August last year, having spent much of his life being used as a punchbag.
Social workers, police and health professionals failed to save him despite 60 visits over eight months, during which he suffered more than 50 injuries.
The local authority -- Haringey Council in north London -- is the same one that failed to stop the death of eight-year-old Ivorian Victoria Climbie, a child abuse case that similarly shocked Britain in 2000.
"I believe I speak for the whole country that people are not only shocked and saddened but horrified and angered," Brown said in stormy exchanges with opposition leader David Cameron in his weekly parliamentary grilling.
"This tragedy that has arisen because of violence and torture of a young child, where three have already been found guilty, raises serious questions that we have to address."
An urgent, nationwide review of child protection services has been ordered.
Two days before Baby P died, a doctor failed to spot he had a broken back, eight fractured ribs and was paralyzed from the waist down.
He had been punched so hard he swallowed a tooth. The attack, causing a neck injury that affected his breathing, was probably the fatal blow, England's Old Bailey central criminal court in London heard.
Among his other injuries, Baby P's ears were torn, fingernails and fingertips were missing and his lips were ripped.
The 32-year-old partner of the child's mother was found guilty Tuesday of causing or allowing the death of a child. The man, who kept knives and Nazi memorabilia, was described in court as "sadistic -- fascinated with pain." He cannot be named for legal reasons.
He was cleared of murder charges as jurors could not agree who caused all the baby's injuries.
The child's 27-year-old mother, who also cannot be named, was described in court as a "slob" who covered up the abuse, pleaded guilty to causing or allowing the death of a child.
Jason Owen, 36, of Bromley in southeast London, their house guest, was convicted of the same charge.(inquirer.net)
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